Immaculate DC-3 at Airventure 2000

LAC's Dakota 4 has positioned from its Blackpool (Squires Gate) base to perform a charter flight from Ringway. Mancunians watch from the public enclosure as the aircraft is prepared for departure.

Ex RAF Dakota 4 operated by Kuwait National Airways from July 1954 until April 1955.

Gleaming in the New Zealand sunshine.

The third DC-3 to be imported into Australia. It was purchased by ANA and entered the Australian Register as VH-ABR in 1938. It was impressed by the RAAF as A30-3 during World War II. In 1957 following the merger with Ansett Airways, it flew with Ansett-ANA. -ABR passed to subsidiary Airlines of South Australia in 1961. ASA retired the veteran DC-3 in March 1971 but it flew on doing charter work for Ansett Airlines of Australia until 1975. VH-ABR was displayed at Melbourne-Tullamarine before being restored in 1988 for the Australian Bicentennial. In the wake of the bankruptcy of Ansett, it passed to the R.M. Ansett Historical Aircraft Society,

This was Dan-Air's first aircraft, serving from June 1953 until February 1969. It is visiting Ringway on a passenger charter flight. Also on the International Pier are a KLM Viscount 803 and Dan-Air Ambassador.

Ex USAAF 43-16399. Operated by the French SGAC governmental organisation from September 1948 until August 1974.

C-47A 79007 code '77' of F8 Wing visiting the Paris Air Salon at Le Bourget in company with several other Swedish AF Dakotas.

This aircraft was withdrawn from use on 30 November 1967 and broken up at Essendon 4 November 1969. The wings went to VH-ANR as replacements.

Ex RAF FD906 and South African AF 6802. "RMA George Brackley" served BEA from October 1950 until April 1960. It is being loaded with Northern Ireland's night mail bound for Belfast (Nutts Corner) airport.

Showing her Ansett-ANA heritage livery this aircraft was later sold to Winner Airways Corp of Taiwan and overran the runway into the sea at Toy Hoa on 25 April 1970.

The aircraft carried an Eastern Airways livery but without titles. At this time Blackpool always had a good number of Dakotas about and it was a friendly place where access was usually granted without problems

Ex USAAF C-47A 42-92098 which dropped paratroopers over Holland and Belgium in late 1944. To Aer Lingus as "St Declan" in February 1946, serving ALT until sale as HZ-AAL in May 1958.

Built for USAAF in August 1945 as 45-1072. Civilianised at Honolulu in 1965. Served as a cargo aircraft with Trans New England 1974- 1977.

Two sad looking aircraft seeing out their time, laying in the Essendon grave yard, both in their final livery. VH-TBB Bristol Freighter 170-31 (CN 13187, First flown as a G-18-179 in 1954. It was sold to TAA in May 1961 and entered the Australian Register on 30th May 1961. Sold to Air Express 17th May 1968.

Ex RAF Dakota IV KN442. Operated by Air Anglia from August 1970 until April 1973. Parked in front of the late 1930s control tower and terminal.

This C-53-DO, built at Santa Monica in September 1942, served DNL, SAS and Linjeflyg postwar and then Swedair from February 1965 until September 1988. Seen on Bromma's frozen apron in March 1968.

"Hot Rod" on the Buffalo ramp. Aircraft written off during a forced landing due fuel exhaustion in June 1994, and hulk moved to Hay River. Another Buffalo DC-3 subsequently used the same registration (c/n 13028) and was on display at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Canadian Air Force colors from 2004 until late 2013. It is now in storage with Buffalo Air at Red Deer.